


Shine a light

by millygal



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 03:34:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/millygal/pseuds/millygal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam sees him for what he can be...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shine a light

Gene's used to adulation.

Not that he's actually that smug all the time, but he's seen younger coppers come up through the ranks, idolising his every move, and he's just gotten accustomed to the to and fro of being held aloft by many. Even when they don't want to see the real, slightly frayed, rough round the edges man that he is.

He supposes maybe they need someone to shine a light on.

He is their winged angel of hard coppering and he just goes with it now.

When he'd shopped his mentor, all those years ago, he'd needed someone to rule on high, that's why, when he'd found out what he really was, a drunk who took back handers, he'd handed him over.

The month after, when he'd taken his first hand out, that was the start of his vacant soul and swinging brick where his heart should beat.

So, having all these idiots staring at him like he's the second coming is unnerving and bloody wrong. Thing is, he knows they need someone to strive for.

Ray's always been unswerving in his loyalty, he's always worshipped the ground Gene's walked on and Gene doesn't know how to break him of it. He'd tried. To start with he'd railed against Ray's constant praise of his flint sharp methods of interrogation and shady dealings.

Being bent is nothing to be proud of.

Chris, oh god love him, cos no one else could. He's a bit of a girl, he's always on the back foot, but he's a good man, or he will be when he actually mans up.

Chris learnt his ability to be blind to Gene's faults from Ray. And so the cycle continues.

He does sometimes look at his men and think maybe now is the time to make a stand, call a stop to all the shifty underhanded business, but it's a damn hard habit to break.

When Sam'd walked in, all shiny and new, methods of a saint, balls of a bison, he'd hated the fact that someone had been able to do what Gene had been secretly craving for years. See him for what he is, a disease riddled copper who should've been taken out of the game years ago.

He may not be a man to lead, but they have to follow. Because he is now in charge. Whether he's the best man for the job, he has the job and they have to toe the line.

So why does he almost want Sam to keep scratching away at the surface?

Even Sam holds Gene in a higher regard than he should, but the difference is, he holds a mirror up to the man who's been avoiding looking at his own reflection for fear of it shattering his tenuously held opinions of himself.

Sam wants Gene to be the man he can be, not the man he's become.

Well, let him keep digging, eventually he may succeed where Gene has failed. He may find the copper that wanted to be the best all those years ago.

Doesn't mean he's going to help him on his way.


End file.
